1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image reading and processing method, a program for implementing the method, and a storage medium storing the program, and more particularly, to an image reading and processing method which performs a pre-scan at low resolution to determine an area where a main scan is to be carried out, and then carries out the main scan in the determined area, as well as a program for causing a computer to execute the program, and a storage medium storing the program.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, in an image reading apparatus which inputs an image by reading the image which exists on an original such as paper or a film, pre-scan reading of the image is first carried out at low resolution. A user determines an area to be scanned, based on the obtained image with low resolution, and then image reading is carried out at high resolution in the determined area.
Conventionally, there has been known a technique where an image of an original, such as a photograph or a film, placed on an original platen glass is pre-scanned at low resolution, and based on the obtained image with low resolution, the contour of the image of the original is extracted, to thereby automatically determine an area on the original platen glass on which the original is placed (refer to U.S. Pat. No. 6,049,636, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. H11-8755, and Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. H10-336428, for example). When this technique is used, even if the user does not determine the area to be scanned, the area where image reading is to be carried out at high resolution can be automatically determined.
However, according to the above-mentioned conventional technique of automatically determining the area of the image of the original, the accuracy of the coordinates which express the area depends on the resolution of the image, and therefore the accuracy of the position of the area automatically determined based on the image with low resolution is not sufficient for the image reading at high resolution. In other words, when the coordinates expressing the area are thus automatically determined and an image is obtained by main scan at high resolution in the area, there arises a problem that a part of the image is cut-off or conversely an excess image is included.